Renaissance

The Renaissance was a period in European history spanning the 15th and 16th centuries that marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was associated with great social change. The period is characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas and achievements of classical antiquity as well as a renewed focus on humanism. The Renaissance saw innovations in art, architecture, politics, science, and literature, and was a time of great cultural flowering. The movement began in Florence, Italy, but spread throughout Europe. There is debate among historians about the usefulness of the term "Renaissance" and whether it was a cultural "advance" from the Middle Ages or a period of pessimism and nostalgia for classical antiquity. The Renaissance had its origins in Italy, with various theories proposed to explain why and when it began. The movement was closely tied to the economic prosperity brought about by trade in Asia and Europe and the influx of wealth that followed the Crusades. Renaissance scholars sought to recover and study Latin and Greek literary, historical, and oratorical texts and reintegrate the study of these texts into the Western European curriculum. The unique political and social structures of Italy during the Late Middle Ages are believed to have contributed to the emergence of the Renaissance. The period was characterized by the emergence of city-states and republics devoted to notions of liberty and anti-monarchical thinking.The Renaissance in Italy: A Summary

• The Renaissance in Italy was a cultural movement that began in the 14th century and lasted until the 17th century.

• Italy was a hub of intellectual activity due to its merchant republics, which were responsive states with democratic features and a belief in liberty.

• The devastation caused by the Black Death in Italy resulted in a shift in the world view of people in the 14th century.

• The spread of the Black Death was rampant in areas of poverty and children were hit the hardest.

• Humanism was a method of learning during the Renaissance that asserted the unique and extraordinary ability of the human mind.

• Humanist scholars shaped the intellectual landscape throughout the early modern period with political philosophers such as Niccolò Machiavelli and Thomas More.

• Renaissance art was marked by its development of highly realistic linear perspective and a renewed desire to depict the beauty of nature.

• Renaissance architects aimed to use columns, pilasters, and entablatures as an integrated system, with Roman orders types of columns used.

• The rediscovery of ancient texts and the invention of the printing press in about 1440 democratized learning and allowed a faster propagation of more widely distributed ideas.

• Science and art were intermingled in the early Renaissance, with polymath artists such as Leonardo da Vinci making observational drawings of anatomy and nature.

• The willingness to question previously held truths and search for new answers resulted in a period of major scientific advancements.

• Significant scientific advances were made during this time by Galileo Galilei, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler.The Renaissance: A Summary

• The Renaissance was a period of cultural and intellectual rebirth that spanned from the 14th to the 17th century in Europe.

• The Renaissance was characterized by a renewed interest in classical antiquity, humanism, and scientific inquiry.

• The scientific method, focusing on empirical evidence and the importance of mathematics, was developed during the Renaissance.

• Europeans visited and mapped every continent except Antarctica during the Renaissance period.

• Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered the Americas while seeking a direct route to India.

• The Renaissance saw the development of a common, unifying musical language, particularly the polyphonic style of the Franco-Flemish school.

• The Renaissance had a profound effect on contemporary theology, particularly in the way people perceived the relationship between man and God.

• The Renaissance began in times of religious turmoil, which led to the Protestant Reformation.

• The Renaissance spread rapidly from its birthplace in Florence to the rest of Italy and soon to the rest of Europe, diversifying and changing as it spread.

• The English Renaissance was marked by the work of writers, architects, and composers such as William Shakespeare, Inigo Jones, and Thomas Tallis.

• The French Renaissance was characterized by the importation of Italian art and artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, and the contributions of writers such as François Rabelais and Michel de Montaigne.

• Hungary was the first European country where the Renaissance appeared, and it was furthered by Italian traders, humanist prelates, and young Hungarians studying at Italian universities.The Renaissance in Different Countries

• Hungary's Renaissance was characterized by King Matthias Corvinus' patronage of the arts, including the establishment of an observatory and his interest in astrology.

• The Low Countries were influenced by Italian Renaissance through trade, and notable figures included artist Hieronymus Bosch and cartographer Gerardus Mercator.

• The Northern Renaissance in music was defined by the Burgundian School and the polyphony of the Netherlanders, which spread to Italy and culminated in the work of Palestrina. The use of vernacular language was also a feature.

• The paintings of the Italian Renaissance differed from those of the Northern Renaissance, which initially focused on religious subjects. Flemish brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck perfected the oil painting technique, and Pieter Bruegel influenced the painting of everyday life.

• The Polish Renaissance was the Golden Age of Polish culture, with a century of peace and the spread of the Reformation. The architecture has three periods of development.

• Portugal was not heavily impacted by the Italian Renaissance, but was influential in broadening the European worldview through exploration and discoveries in mathematics, astronomy, and naval technology. The Manueline style of architecture was notable, and the Cancioneiro de Elvas was a significant musical work.

• Russia was not characterized by the Renaissance in the original sense, but Renaissance trends from Italy and Central Europe had some influence, particularly in architecture. A unique tradition of stone tented roof architecture developed in Russia.

• The Spanish Renaissance was influenced by Italian humanism, with writers such as Miguel de Cervantes and philosophers such as Juan Luis Vives. Later, religious themes and mysticism were prevalent.

• The term "Renaissance" was first used by Giorgio Vasari, who defined it as a break with Gothic art. The French historian Jules Michelet popularized the term in the 19th century, defining it as an entire historical period.